Over the Past Twenty Years, the Number of Small Family

question 70

Multiple Choice

Over the past twenty years, the number of small family farms has fallen significantly and in their place there are fewer, but larger, farms owned by corporations.Which of the following best explains this trend?

• A)diseconomies of scale in farming
• B)economies of scale in farming
• C)diminishing returns to labor in farming
• D)declining productivity

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Definitions:

Upper Mantle

The layer of the Earth located beneath the crust and above the lower mantle, extending from depths of about 35 to 410 kilometers.

Continental Crust

The thick part of the Earth's crust that forms the large landmasses. It is generally older and more complex than oceanic crust.

Basalt

A fine-grained, dark-colored mafic igneous rock, with or without vesicles and phenocrysts of pyroxene, olivine, or feldspar.

Dark Lava Rock

Often basalt, this is a type of volcanic rock that is rich in iron and magnesium, giving it a dark coloration.